November 4, 2004: Headlines: COS - Uzbekistan: COS - Afghanistan: Kansas State Collegian: After serving in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan and hearing from a friend who served in the Peace Corps in Afghanistan, John Harty has started to collect shoes for Afghan women and children.

K-State group begins collection drive for shoes destined for Afghan women, children Published on Thursday, November 4, 2004

Kristi Hurla Kansas State Collegian

John Harty and others are working to collect shoes for Afghan women and children at K-State.

After serving in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan and hearing from a friend who served in the Peace Corps in Afghanistan, Harty has started to collect shoes for Afghan women and children.

Jeri Stroade, statistical and informational officer in the office of planning and analysis, said they started to collect shoes for women initially. After discovering there has been a proposed fitness facility in Kabul, they opened the shoe drive to children as well.

Boxes are located in the K-State Student Union, Seaton Hall 126, the International Student Center and Manhattan Christian College.

Harty said Tracee Kensley, MCC graduate, and Suzie Orebaugh, K-State alumni, were key in developing the idea. Both Kensley and Orebaugh have served in Afghanistan in the Peace Corps.

Harty, doctoral student in geography and president of the geography club, said after contacting his senators, Senator Tom Daschle, D-S.D., put him in contact with a person in Kansas City who offered to ship the shoes to Afghanistan for free.

The program was initially kept low key, Harty said, but after finding out they could be shipped for free they started to push the idea.

“We’ve gotten quite a ways on the collections,” Harty said. “We really started to push the program forward once we found out about the free shipping.”

Stroade said the collection has gotten about 400 pairs of athletic shoes.

“I’ve been amazed by the amount people have donated,” Stroade said.

The collection is sponsored by the Geography Club, Geography Honor Society, International Coordinating Council and the Women’s Center.

Students interested in donating are asked to deposit the shoes in the designated boxes. Tennis shoes in women’s sizes up to 11 and men’s size up to 12 are being seeked.

“All we ask is that they tie the shoes together so they don’t become lost,” Harty said.

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Story Source: Kansas State Collegian

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Uzbekistan; COS - Afghanistan

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